Sanguem: A fracas was reported between a group of villagers and State Forest Department officials on Saturday in Kushavati district over the transportation of iron ore from a proposed reserve forest area.
Police said the incident occurred in the presence of State River Navigation Department Minister Subhash Phal Desai.
According to the police, a group of around 100 villagers from Rivona village in Kushavati district clashed with Forest Department officials when the latter stopped them from transporting iron ore from the forest area. The villagers were led by Minister Phal Desai.
“There was a minor scuffle between the two groups, but the situation was brought under control,” police said.
A senior Forest Department official said the ore was lying in the proposed reserve forest area and that transporting it without permission was a violation of government orders.
He said iron ore dumps located in forest areas cannot be transported unless they have been validly auctioned by the State Mining Department.
When contacted, Phal Desai said the incident occurred when material from an iron ore dump lying in the forested area was being transported to a nearby location.
“It was not the transportation of ore for the purpose of selling it. The ore was being moved from the site to fill an area for the creation of a sports ground,” the minister said.
He alleged that local youth did not have a playground because ore had been dumped at the place where they used to play.
“It was merely a matter of relocating the ore from one place to another within the same area. There was no reason for the Forest Department to create an issue over it,” Phal Desai said.
